Smiling Aishwarya Rai Bachchan finally leaves for Cannes 2026 with Aaradhya after absence rumours spark concern

The countdown to Cannes can officially end: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has boarded the flight. After days of fans wondering whether the festival’s unofficial reigning queen would skip the red carpet this year, the actor was finally spotted at the Mumbai airport early Friday morning, and she brought her favourite travel companion along too. Hand in hand with daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, Aishwarya headed off to the French Riviera.

And because airport fashion is practically a Cannes prequel now, the duo arrived in coordinated black outfits that looked equal parts chic and stealth-wealth. Aishwarya leaned into power dressing with a sharply tailored black blazer splashed with floral sequin embroidery that caught the paparazzi flashes from every angle.

Before heading into the terminal, Aishwarya paused to greet photographers with warm smiles, posed for a picture with a young fan, and even hilariously pointed out that one paparazzo had lost his footwear in the chaos.

The actor is expected to attend the festival as a global ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, despite recent rumours suggesting she might skip this year’s edition after fans noticed her absence from some promotional campaigns.

According to reports, Aishwarya is expected to walk the Cannes red carpet on the festival’s closing day. She first attended in 2002 alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the premiere of Devdas, before officially becoming a L’Oréal ambassador the following year. More than two decades later, the common sentiment is that Cannes without Aishwarya still feels mildly incomplete.

The actor was last seen in Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2, directed by Mani Ratnam, for which she won Best Actress in a Leading Role (Critics) at the South Indian International Movie Awards in Dubai. The historical epic also starred Vikram, Karthi, Trisha Krishnan, Sobhita Dhulipala and several others. Her next project is yet to be announced.